Heat Pump Installation in Malvern, AR
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from May through September every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Hot Spring County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months a year, one machine carries the load
In Malvern your heat pump works from November through March, then again from May through September. Winter nights average 33°F, mild enough that a heat pump can carry the heating most of those nights on its own. Summer afternoons average 91°F, and the same system is carrying the cooling load on the other end.
A split-system heat pump built on or after January 1, 2023 has to meet 14.3 SEER2 for cooling and 7.5 HSPF2 for heating. Hot Spring County has seen 9 winter storms and 45 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and close to a quarter of Arkansas households lost power for at least a day in 2024. Worth asking your contractor how the unit you choose comes back on once the power does.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 33°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Arkansas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held by the contractor, not issued job by job, so the state has already tested and recorded whoever you hire before this heat pump ever comes up. Arkansas also keeps this simple by not letting counties or cities layer on their own HVAC license, so the same rule applies wherever in Hot Spring County you are.
For the install itself, the license covers who is allowed to do the work, and the local building office covers the work once it is done. Most cities and counties require a permit for a heat pump replacement and an inspection when it is finished, and that inspection is what checks the refrigerant lines, wiring and setup against code rather than the contractor's license itself.
Source: Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing
- Is a heat pump better than a furnace?
- It depends on what you're comparing it to and what you want it to do. A heat pump handles both heating and cooling from one system, where a furnace only heats, so you'd still need a separate air conditioner alongside it. Winter nights here average 33°F, which is well within the range a heat pump handles without help. Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from May through September, so a system that does both for ten months of the year is worth weighing against running two separate units.
- What's the difference between a heat pump and an air conditioner?
- An air conditioner only moves heat out of your home. A heat pump does the same thing in summer, but it can also run in reverse and move heat into your home in winter, which is what lets it replace a furnace. Mechanically the two are close cousins. If you already have central air, the outdoor unit and ductwork are doing similar work to what a heat pump would do, just in one direction instead of two.
- Does a heat pump work in cold weather?
- Yes, a heat pump still pulls heat from outside air even when it's cold, because there's usable heat in the air down to well below freezing. Winter nights here average 33°F, which is mild enough that a heat pump won't struggle. Every heat pump sold new today has to meet a federal minimum of 7.5 HSPF2 for heating efficiency, so cold-weather performance is built into the equipment standard, not something you have to shop around for separately.